A known contact system has both a fixed contact and a moving contact. The fixed contact in this case serves to make contact with a connecting line or the like. The moving contact serves to open and close the contact system.
The switch systems known from the prior art have a contact support region and a jump mechanism or a creep mechanism. In this case, the contact support region serves to mount, guide and actuate the moving contact. The jump mechanism serves to convert the linear actuation of the switch by way of an actuating element into an automatic and irreversible jump actuation of the contact support region, by which the actual switching operation is carried out. Contact support region and jump mechanism include a large number of components, which results in high costs in development, fabrication and assembly and increases the risk of failure of the subassembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,313 discloses a snap-action switch which has a snap-action spring which is fixed to a carrier, the snap-action switch having at least one snap-action contact which connects the former electrically to the carrier. The snap-action switch has at least two arms, which are under reciprocal tension in order to form a closed system of forces in which at least one arm is under compressive bending and can be switched by way of an external actuating force.